Suspects in New Year's crimes appear in court

Men face counts of first-degree murder

Posted: Wednesday, January 03, 2007

By The Associated PRess

ANCHORAGE - An Anchorage man killed on New Year's Day was stabbed numerous times in a confrontation with a man he accused of raping his girlfriend's teenage daughter, according to formal charges filed Tuesday.

Keilan Ebli, 20, of Anchorage was charged with first-degree murder, first- and second-degree sexual assault and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of William Oestreich. Ebli was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon along with a suspect in an unrelated New Year's Day shooting that left two people dead.

Oestreich, 45, had gone with his girlfriend to pick up the woman's daughter from an apartment in the 600 block of east 16th Avenue early Monday morning.

The couple went there in response to a call from the girl that she woke up naked on the floor of Ebli's bedroom and had been raped by him, according to charging documents. The girl had arrived earlier by cab and was "very intoxicated," Ebli's roommate told police.

The mother told police that Oestreich hit Ebli, possibly with a bottle. The men began arguing until downstairs tenants told Ebli to quiet down and persuaded Oestreich to leave.

Soon after Ebli ran down the stairs past the tenants, yelling "I'm going to kill you" and carrying a knife, court records say. When he returned, Ebli told them he had stabbed the man and the tenants then found Oestreich lying on the street bleeding, according to the court records.

Police were called and arrived shortly after 4 a.m. Monday. Oestreich was taken to an Anchorage hospital, where he died during surgery.

Officers found Ebli hiding under a bed, according to the court records.

He told police he was intoxicated when the girl arrived and that they had consensual sex, but that the girl got upset when she couldn't find her clothes.

Ebli also told police he was sleeping when Oestreich hit him on the head. The court papers say Ebli had a cut on the back of his head that required medical attention.

Ebli denied any knowledge about the stabbing. Police found several knives in the apartment that tested positive for blood as well as a towel bearing the bloody shape of a knife, according to court documents.

Blood also was found in the bedroom and outside the apartment leading to the street.

Ebli was arrested and was being held on $200,000 cash-only bail.

Alcohol also was believed to be a factor in a fatal shooting earlier Monday.

Anchorage residents Ashlee Richards, 17, and Travis Moore, 23, died soon after the shooting near an apartment complex on Golden Street just east of Jewel Lake Road.

Police were called to the scene shortly before 1 a.m. after several shots were fired near the complex following a disturbance inside one of the apartment units. Police were trying to determine if the shooting began in the unit and continued outside, Lt. Paul Honeman said.

Ryan Sanders, 23, was arrested on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of tampering with evidence. Sanders, who was believed to have been staying at the apartment, was being held on $400,000 cash only bail.